Facsimile receiver-helical drum assembly



June 13, 1950 w. G. H. FINCH ET AL 2,511,704

FACSIMILE RECEIVER HELICAL DRUM ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 17, 1946- INVENTOR5 MW A! M BY M fiM v fiZ /V ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 19 50 FACSHVIILE RECEIVER-Eamon. DRUM ASSEMBLY William G. H. Finch, Newton, Conn., and Gottfried H. Hohmann, Bronx, N. Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Pierce Company, Providence, R. I.

Application December 17, 1946, Serial No. 716.773

3 Claims. (01. 346101) Our present invention relates to facsimile rec'orders and more particularly to facsimile recorders of the type wherein a helicalwire on a revolving drum co-acts with a blade to mark a sheet of chemically treated paper passing between the drum and the blade.

The type of facsimile recorder herein contemplated is of the general character shown in Patent No. 2,413,962.

I Essentially, our invention contemplates the utilization of a removable wire as the helix on the drum, the said wire being positioned by a groove .in the drum and being tensioned by appropriate .simplified tensioning means.

Our invention also contemplates the utilization of such a removable wire together with mounting means so arranged that the wire may be placed on the drum and removed therefrom without the necessity for removing the drum from the facsimile recorder and without the necessity for complex manipulations.- Thus, the primary object of our invention is the provision of a novel facsimile recorder having a removable wire as the helical scanner on the drum.

Another object of our invention is the provision of novel tensioning and mounting means for the removable wire on the drum so that the wire may be replaced readily.

The foregoing and many other objects of our invention will become apparent in the following descriptions and drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our novel facsimile drum carrying the novel wire support- :ing and tensioning means of our invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken from side 2 of Figure 1 showing the method by which one end of the wire is mounted on the drum and showing also the novel tensioning means therefor.

Figure 3 is a view taken from side 3 of the drum of Figure 1 showing the means for mounting the opposite end of the wire on the drum.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of our novel tensioning means.

Figure 5 is a view of the wire.

Referring now to the figures, the facsimile drum I0 is mounted on shaft ll which is rotated in any suitable manner in order to provide a scanning of the facsimile record sheet in accordvance with the principle set forth in Patent No. 2,413,962.

The paper on which a record is to be made travels between the drum l0 and the knife blade ell spring biased toward the drum ill by springs *(not shown), but mounted at 12 on the knife blade support I3.

. 2 I The helical recording wire l5 on the drum Ill has a 360 turn thereon in order to provide for ahelical scanning of the record sheet in accordance with well-known principles relating to helicalscanning devices. The wire [5 is a removable wire which is preferably round.

Thewire I5 is provided with enlarged lugs, nodes or knobs H at either end in order to engage slot 18 on one side of the drum and slot 13 in the tensioning device 20 on the other side of the drum.

The drum I0 is provided with a helical groove 22 extending from the end to the other side of the drum and making a 360 turn, the said groove 22 being machined in the drum and providing an absolutely accurate track or support for the wire I5. When the wire I5 is mounted on the drum and appropriately tensioned with respect thereto, it rests in the groove 22 projecting therefrom sufficiently to provide the helical recording scanner, but being firmly held in position by the cooperation of the groove 22 with the tention. The opposite knob I! of the wire I5 is then caught in the notch IQ of the tensioning member 20 at the opposite end of the drum.

The tensioning member 20 is then tightened so that the wire I5 is extended in the groove 22 and pulled up toward it. The tensioning member 20 comprises the block-like element 2| mounted in the slide 30 of the drum, the said slide 30 being arranged so that it is directed substantially circumferentially of the drum and at an angle so that its main axis is aligned with the axis of the bead or wire l5 at the end 2 of the drum.

The block 20 is thus prevented from rotation because it matches exactly the squared slide 30 in the drum but may move back and forth therein. Block 20 is provided with the substantially cylindrical extension 32 having a tapped end 33 in which the screw 34 may be threaded.

Screw 34 is threaded into the opening 35 of the drum, which opening is tapped, the said opening communicating through the hole 36 with the outside of the drum. Screw 34 may have a slotted head 38 as shown or may have a hexagonal or square socket so that it may be manipulated by 3 either a screw driver or a socket wrench introduced through the hole 36.

When the screw 34 is thus rotated, it causes the cylindrical extension 32 of block 2| and the embodiment thereof. Many variations and modifications of my invention should now be obvious to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, 'we prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosure herein block 2| of the tensioning device 20 to move in 5 contained, but only by the appended claims.

or out in' 'accordance with the direction of rotation of screw 34. Thus; the block 2tmay' 'bee pushed down away from the end 36 of the opening 35 and toward the outer end or side 3 of the Wewlai-mrc 1. -.Ii1 a; rscsimue recordrwaidfiurn, .a single turn helical groove in the surface of said drum, a wire positioned in said groove, said wire having a knob drum [0 to tension the wire l5.and thus create at each end, .a notch at one end of said drum a helical scanner.

When the wire [5 has worn down so that it"is' no longer efi'icient for recording piinposestthens it is only necessary to insert the screwidniventon'r.

socket wrench into the o ening ssite-rotatethe wire? screw 34 sufiiciently to release the tension on the block 2| and thus permit thewire l51-to be:

removed. 7 v The replacement wire is then mounted iir slot 2. In a facsimiler'ecorder, a drum, a single turn helicaigroove m ths-surface of said drum, a wire positioned in said groove, said wire having a knob at each -end, a notch at one end of said drum en- IB and the opposite end-lis caught in slot IQ of gaging and holding the knob at one end of said block- 21 afte'r .theswire has rb eerrwrapped around therlrum' m and positioned in'the groove :2 2-; The socket-wrench or' screwrdriverzisthen:used to roe tate'i the i screw 34"" to? appropriately. tension the By this means, therefore?a sirnplifiedlmeans:is:

provided:for'rmountingza= helical scanner OHwth-G drumiiand fonremovingzthe isame whilewthe iszain :positionnwithout 'requiringl: removaloi the:

wire and an? adjustable zte'nsioningi; memberrrat I the other en'd of saidfirming said: member having; a notchnenga'ging; theeknobsatrthe :other. ends-0ft thevw ire, an additional zgroove im saidwdrum; said:

25 tensioningrimember beingaslidable'rin 'Saidwaddlirtional groove. r

3-5 Inca falcsimileirecorderyatdrurnga single=turn hellcalgnoove inrthezsuriacerotsaidl'drumpawire:

positioned in said groove, said WllEhEiliZillg askno'o:

difum=:for-ithis:"purpose; It isionlyynecessary in atiieaehhend;,aisnotchsainone end: ofasaidwdrum removing the wire 15 to rotate the drum to a posh-=- anismI'so-vthat a -screw -driver or socket wrench: m'ayv'be :inserted: through the-ho1e 36 todoosen-e Theend: ot-the wire isthen removedirom notche IB 'and.thebwirewis sl'ippedvoif the drum H], the: opposite endbeinggthen slipped-out of notch I8:- Itwwil-lbe seenthat this can readily.-be done since:

' ing and'ch'oldingathe linobiiat one-endnoi; said. wire and anzangnstama: tensioning memberrain theioth'eri'endzdf isaidzdrmngi said imemloen rhaving';

3 a notch engaging the knobiat the otherrendsof the e 3'6 wire;:anadditionahgroove in said druJmsaidtenboth the notches l8-:and-:-I9are onzthe same side 40 in'f adjustedtpositi'oncx-i of: the drum. The replacementwire is. then mounted atwonea'endiin notch. l8; and the .drumds rotated slowly by hand for one revolution aslthe wire: I 5 is; laid down in: thegroove 2'2.

V GQTTFRIEDiI-I: HQHMANNM REEERENOESUGI'TED- opposite .end or the wire is caught in the notch- 1-9 ofathe .tensioningdevice 201:: Thescfrewdriver or socket wrench iinserted-ithrough. the opening;

3 9 then. tightens the tensionmeneviee -20-to rs'e cure thjewirein-place,

v In the foregoing, we have describedohniriven tion only, in connection with a specifidpreferrti' Number: Name-r Date- 1,697,932 Schnitzelenetah. Jam-8,1192% 1,848,862 Young a amarrsaieazl v$104,109 

